Man is from Quantico, Woman is from Hollywood
by IronicTheorist
Summary: While in LA, Dr. Spencer Reid, meets Lila which will bring back old memories and, of course, old feelings. Will they continue from where they left off or will they just move on and forget about the past?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The first chapter contains mostly of the scenes from Season 6 Episode 14 "Sense Memory". Enjoy! :) **

**I DON'T OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.**

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><p>"Two times in one year, huh?" Spencer Reid heard Derek Morgan commented when their technical analyst, Penelope Garcia announced that their next case is in Los Angeles. His heart went berserk, beating twice faster than its normal pace. He always felt that way whenever the team will be working on a case in the City of Angels.<p>

"Remind me again why it's called the City of Angels." David Rossi, the eldest agent among the team, asked. As usual, Spencer didn't even think twice to answer the question.

"It was originally called the Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels." And as usual, his teammates gave him weird looks and stares which made him stop talking and blurt out, "That was a rhetorical question, wasn't it?"

The only answer he got was a smirk from Morgan, an amused look from Rossi and Hotch, and again, a weird look from Prentiss. They continued to discuss the case and Spencer, though reading the file, have been continuously thinking about L.A. and replayed in his head the things that happened there five years ago.

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There were few things that Spencer regretted doing and not doing in his life. On top of that list was his addiction to Dilaudid after he was kidnapped. Second, when he accused his father of murder. Next, when he didn't call Lila Archer after they separated ways outside the police station.

The first two months after they left LA, he did try to call but his fear made him back out. He will dial her number, which he already memorized without even breaking a sweat, but after a few seconds will think twice and would decide to just forget about the whole thing. He knew it was a coward thing to do but he thought, "What good it will do? She is an actress, a Hollywood Actress, while I'm just an awkward FBI agent who doesn't have a single idea how to deal with girls. Especially a girl like her."

Now that they're on the jet to L.A., he feels so nervous he couldn't help himself but to babble a lot and couldn't stop eating candies every passing minute. He even made a cup of tea to calm down but to no avail.

After arriving in the police station, Hotch decided to visit the morgue with Rossi. Morgan and Prentiss interviewed the family of the latest victim and Spencer immediately started working with the geographical profile. He thought that while he will be so busy working, he can keep his mind from thinking about Lila.

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It was just a couple of hours when they landed but the team already had a lead. They found out that the unsub have been hunting his victims through a gypsy cab. The team gathered around a table with Garcia on the speaker phone.

"I checked all seven cab companies that service the Hollywood and Vermont area," Spencer felt as if a bolt of lightning struck him when he heard Hollywood. "And none of the drivers reported picking anyone between 11 o'clock and 12 o'clock, the night Linda went missing."

Since Morgan was just sitting across him, he tried to look unmoved as much as possible. Being one of the best profilers in the BAU, Morgan will surely suspect something is up with him if he will not be cautious with his actions. Last time they went on a case with Detective Kim a year ago, it made Spencer very uncomfortable since JJ reminded him of Lila's case while they were still on the jet. Morgan and Prentiss didn't stop bugging him even after the case was closed and they were back in Quantico.

"_You didn't call her, did you?" Spencer remembered Morgan asking him. He just looked back at Morgan and nodded. "You know kid, never let chances like that slip away... again. We both know you still like her."_

"Yeah. Taxis are tracked more than Gaga's twitter." Garcia said over the line which brought Spencer back to reality. He heard the analyst say something that his big brain could not decrypt.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"I'll explain to him Garcia." Rossi, who was standing just behind him, interrupted.

"Yeah, teach him how to worship the other lady G, boss." Garcia replied which made Spencer more confused. _Is 'Gaga' some sort of a goddess? _He asked himself. _If that's the case, I am not aware of the religion that worships her.  
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The team finished giving their preliminary profile to the police officers when Hotch got a call that another body was found by a couple of mountain bikers. He and Rossi immediately left to go to the scene. Morgan and Prentiss also left the station to get an information from a woman who claims to have seen the unsub. Spencer, on the other hand, busied himself by asking Garcia's help in order to locate combinations of purchases.

While waiting for Garcia to call back, Spencer went to the station's kitchenette to grab some coffee. After taking a sip, Spencer instantly threw the cup away. It was the worst coffee he had so far.

"There's a café just a block away from here." Reid saw a police officer, probably in his 40s, with a large belly and thick moustache entering the door. "We have the worst coffee." He was holding a mug and smiled at the young genius. Spencer smiled back.

"Thanks." He exited the room and went on to buy some coffee.

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Just like what the police officer said, there is a café not too far from the station. When he went inside, Spencer was a bit surprised to see that it wasn't so small.

"Hi. What can I get you, sir?" a redhead teenager behind the counter said. Spencer squint a little to read the menu.

"Uh, grande cappuccino please."

"Would you like anything else to add, sir?" he looked back at the menu and contemplated whether to add a toasted bagel.

"Add a toasted bagel too."

"That will only be $5."

Spencer was busy searching for his wallet when he heard the swing door open with a ding. He gave his payment to the teen, grabbed his coffee and bagel, and was about to head for the door when a voice halted him.

"Just the usual, Karen." For the first time in his life, Spencer Reid, the youngest genius in the BAU department with an eidetic memory, an IQ of 187, and has the ability to read 20000 words per minute, couldn't place the voice to its owner. But he was very sure that he already heard it somewhere. Abruptly turning around, he faced her. Blonde hair, approximately 5'7", medium built, and someone Spencer already met in the past. She was waiting patiently for her coffee and Spencer took some time to approach her.

"Lila?"

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**Liked it? Hated it? Reviews are very much appreciated. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all those who reviewed, those who added my fic to their favorite list, and to all those who put this story on alert. I am glad there are people who like this pairing too. Anyways, please enjoy this next chapter.**

**I don't own Criminal Minds.**

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_What if she wasn't Lila? What if she really IS Lila? What if she asks why I didn't call her? Should I tell her I was so scared to even pick the phone though I really wanted to? Or should I go with the 'I-was-so-busy-with-work excuse'? What if she just ignores me and walks away? What if she was so traumatized with what happened, she decided to erase the memory of that event and decided to forget me too?_

All of those thoughts flickered in Spencer's mind in just a second. Sometimes he wishes he wasn't overly analytical. He was brought back to reality when the girl in question was finally facing him. She stopped for a moment, probably thinking who Spencer was, and then a smile spread over her face.

"Spencer? Is that you?" Spencer grinned and nodded. His spirits was lifted up knowing she still remembers. He wasn't sure if what he saw was delight and a sparkle in her when she knew it really was him… or maybe he was just imagining things.

"Hi. It's been a while." He said, without his voice breaking and she smiled wider at him. Spencer couldn't help himself but stare at her. It's been a very long time since he last saw her but the glow that was with her back then was still radiating. He manages to see catch a glimpse of her beautiful face on TV when he will have a chance to watch a television but she looks more beautiful in personal and up-close.

"Here's your coffee." Their moment was interrupted by the barista.

"Thanks." Lila handed out her payment and hurriedly faced Spencer again as if he will be gone the moment she looks away. They approached a vacant table by the window. He pulled out a chair for her which she gladly took. "It's been what? Five years?"

"Actually, it's five years and nine months." Spencer answered in his usual genius tone but mentally kicked himself for it. If he wanted to impress her, he should keep his big 'ol brain lay low for a while. She laughed heartily with what he said. "Not that I'm counting."

"Oh, I know. You're still the Spencer I met 'five years and nine months ago' huh." She said and put quotations on the exact words Spencer said a while ago. It was Spencer's turn to laugh. "So how are you?" She asked him with curiosity, gazed up and eyed his haircut. "And what's with the shorter hair?"

"I'm good actually." He met her eyes and couldn't look away anymore. "As for the hair, I still don't know what got into me. I just woke up one day and felt like cutting it very short." She was still smiling at him the whole time while Spencer updated her with his life. He told her that Elle, Gideon and JJ are not part of the team anymore. In return, Spencer learned the event's in Lila's life after the whole stalking incident. She apparently landed into some good lead roles, both in television and movie.

They just sat there talking. The Lila Archer that Spencer knew has already made it far and he is very happy for her.

The minutes turned into an hour and the cup of coffee turned into cups. Spencer felt so right just sitting across her and talking. For a moment, he forgot about the gruesome murders he faces every single day. Everything felt so perfect until he heard his phone ringing.

When he looked at his phone, it was a call from Hotch. "Excuse me for a second." He said and went outside the café.

"Reid, where are you?" the stern voice of his boss came from the other line.

"Buying coffee, why?" Spencer looked back at the window where Lila was also looking at him. He couldn't help himself but to smile at her and wave a little. She giggled and waved back.

"You're supposed to update me with what you and Garcia found out about the purchases." Hotch was serious and Spencer somehow felt that his boss was getting impatient every passing second that they are on the phone.

"Um, yeah. I'm on my way back to the station. I'm just a block away."

"Call Garcia. Now." And with that, Hotch hung up. Spencer went back inside the café. Lila gazed at him with concern and he couldn't help it but get caught up, again, in her dazzling eyes.

"Let me guess. It's your boss." Lila asked when he was sitting across her. He nodded in reply. "And you need to get back to work."

"Yeah. Duty calls." He joked in which they both chuckled. "But I really want to get in touch with you after this case is over. If that will be okay with you."

"Of course it is okay! Why wouldn't it be?" she dictated her number before adding, "I know you don't need to write down my number."

He blushed when their eyes met. Spencer could have fainted right then and there when his gaze went from her eyes right down to her lips. He nervously turned away and chuckled.

They exited the café together but before they separated ways, Lila said to him,

"It's really good to see you, Spencer." She was about to say something more but something held her back.

"Same here." Spencer stopped the urge to touch her shoulder. It will be too awkward… and too straightforward. He wanted to make sure that in this second chance given to him, he will do everything right. He doesn't want to scare her off or turn her off. So he just tucked his hands into his pocket and sighed a little. She walked to the opposite direction and looks back at him from time to time. Spencer stood there waiting until she turned to a corner and was gone from his sight. He walked back to the station, back to the dreadful world of serial killers, back to solving crimes, back to reality. Even if he knew morbid things are still waiting for him, he couldn't help it but to grin stupidly.

_I will not let this chance slip away again._

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><p><strong>Please do drop some reviews. Thanks! From the bottom of my heart! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

** I would like to thank again those who reviewed, who added this story in their favorites, and who put this on alert. BTW, Sorry for the delayed upload. I already finished this last week but then my PC got sick and he lost all my files. (Bad Eno!) Anyway, here's the third chapter.. :)**

**I DON'T OWN CRIMINAL MINDS**

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There was a lot of action when they have traced the unsub's hideout. Spencer and Emily were left to search the house while Derek, Hotch and Rossi followed the fleeing murderer. Inside the hideout, they found a woman lying naked and was about to be drowned. Luckily for her, the team have arrived just before the unsub was to submerge her. The unsub resisted arrest which led him to flee. It was jam-packed action of car chase which lasted for almost an hour. But in the end the unsub died on a fatal car crash.

The team was on their way to the hotel for refuge after a long, tiring day of crime-fighting when Spencer dialed Lila's number. It was the same number she had five years ago and Spencer realized that Lila was right. He didn't need to write her number down since he always has memorized it by heart. As he waited for the other line to be answered, he could feel his heart racing. Derek and Emily were too busy with their own thoughts that neither of the two noticed the paleness of his face. His palms became sweaty, his knees trembled and he could hear the loud thump of his heart. Just as they arrived the hotel and Derek have parked the SUV, a voice came out from the other line.

"Hello?" It was Lila. Just hearing her voice made Spencer frozen for a couple of seconds.

"Uh, hey." There was silence in the other line, probably thinking who he might be. "It's me, Spencer."

"Spencer! God, I'm sorry I didn't recognize your voice. Not only did your haircut changed but also your voice." They both laughed. Hers is like music in his ears. Derek and Emily, who were walking a few feet ahead of him, turned to him in a sudden and Spencer caught their confused looks. They looked puzzled and intrigued. "So how's my favorite genius doctor?"

"Well, I told you I'll be keeping in touch after we finish our case." Spencer said coyly. Derek and Emily almost dropped their jaws in what he said. They gave him a mix of surprise and bewildered glares. He turned his back on them and distanced himself. "We finished the case."

"Yeah, I know. I'm actually watching you on the TV right now. You look good!" he can hear her giggling and the news is on the background. "Don't you want to become an actor or a model maybe?"

"I considered that career too but I guess I'm more of a crime fighter." He teased back and she laughs at it. Spencer felt proud of himself just by making Lila laugh at his corny jokes. It was a little thing or maybe means nothing for her but it was a great deal for him.

"So you'll be back to Quantico tomorrow?" she asked, the news still on the background.

"Yes. We'll be flying back tomorrow." He replied. "Wheels up by 5 am."

"I knew it." She tried to sound unaffected but the opposite happened. And with a sigh, she added, "That's too bad. I could have given you a free tour of the Hollywood." Spencer thought he was going to faint. _Is she indirectly asking him out? Or was it just a part of a joke?_ Though deep inside, he wanted it to be the first one. _You should be the one asking her out! Not the other way around! _He heard a voice inside his head.

"I heard Hollywood is more beautiful at night. Can I get a tour tonight?" Spencer heard himself say. It was like his voice had a mind of its own. Lila laughed at the other line. His face turn red as a tomato and the heart thumping a while ago is back. "That is if you're not too busy. If you're doing something else or you already have some plans, please, don't mind me."

"Dr. Spencer Reid, you never fail to amuse me." She said with a hearty chuckle. "I don't have any plans tonight so I can take you to a tour around. But there's one condition."

"What is it?"

"Don't talk about transference."

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It took him about an hour to choose what to wear, style his hair, take a bath, talk to Hotch and Rossi, annoyed by Derek and Emily with their questions, and interrogated by Penelope. He didn't have to put too much effort on talking with Hotch and Rossi since they don't care about his business as long as he will be there in the jet by 5 in the morning. Derek, Emily and Penelope were different. They couldn't help themselves but to pry.

"You shouldn't wear that vest!" Emily said when she and Derek busted into his room. Luckily for Spencer, he was still choosing what to wear and they didn't saw him while he's changing his clothes.

"Forget about the tie too!" he heard someone say and was surprised to see Penelope talking on the Ipad. "My Junior G-man, pick something else!"

"Tsk tsk. Romeo, it's your first date with Lila and you will wear your clothes for work?" Derek said in amusement as the three of them look at Spencer from head to toe. "No wonder you and JJ didn't had a second date."

"Guys, guys! First and foremost, this is not a date. It's just a get-together. Second, I didn't want your help to choose what I will wear. Third, I only bought clothes for work because we are here for a case not a vacation. Fourth, JJ and I didn't have a second date because it's against the rules. Last but not the least, aren't those tablets for case-related purposes only?" Spencer said while the three stopped momentarily. After a few seconds, they all talked again, debating on what he should wear. He sighed in disbelief and continued to choose from the rack of clothing.

"That shirt! Let me take a look at it!" Emily stood next to Spencer as Derek followed her. She took it and examined it carefully. "This will do, right Derek?"

"Yeah. It's better than the usual vest." Derek replied while scratching his chin.

"I couldn't agree more." They all both turned to Penelope who was still on the other line.

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Spencer was waiting patiently for Lila outside a fancy looking restaurant where they settled to meet. He didn't agree with the clothes that his three colleagues have decided to let him wear at first but now that he is already there, he thought they were right after all. He feels comfortable in his brown cashmere cardigan with a denim shirt underneath, a pair of chinos, and matching tasselled loafers. Some girls passing by take another quick glance at him even after they pass by. It was weird for Spencer. He wasn't the head-turning kind of guy and the experience is new to him.

"Wow. You look dashing, Doctor." He turned around and found Lila standing a few feet away from him. She was stunning in her green V-neck blouse that she wore as a dress and was hugging her admirable curves. Her hair was styled with curls and Spencer noticed just a hint of make-up on her face but still manage to look striking.

"Hi. You look splendid too." She walked slowly towards him and stopped when she was a foot away from the stunned genius. From Spencer's point of view, the world seemed to slow down. It was like the only person that mattered for him in that very moment is Lila. He tried to snap back to reality but he couldn't. He couldn't turn away from her alluring beauty because of the fear that she might be gone without any warning. From the moment they met in the café earlier that day, everything felt surreal for Spencer. It may seem cliché, but it is all true.

They walk into the restaurant side by side. The place wasn't too crowded with people and the interiors look beautiful. Some people stopped with their meals and gazed at the pair walking towards their table. Some of them even murmured because they must have recognized who Lila was. As usual, Spencer held out a chair for the lady before sitting across her. They gave their orders to the waiter in charge to them.

"This place is great." Spencer commented as he looked around. The restaurant has a cozy ambience in it because of the dimly lit interior. Spencer stopped looking around as Lila was staring at him and smiling brightly at him. He cracked a smile and said, "You look lovely, Lila."

She scowled at him and pouted playfully before saying, "The haircut, the voice, the clothes and now the pick-up lines? I guess I have to take back what I said earlier about you being the same Dr. Spencer Reid I met ages ago." Spencer tittered while Lila didn't take her eyes off him still amused. "You changed a lot. I bet you're not the baby genius of your team."

"I never was the baby genius. More of the 'laughingstock of the team.'"

"I doubt that. They were genuinely concerned about you back then." She placed her elbows on the table and placed her chin on top of her palm. "Remember the time when we got out of the house after you disarmed Mags? You were the first one they checked out."

Spencer smirked. "Maybe." The waiter arrived with their meal, interrupting their conversation. It was a Penne a la arrabiata together with bruschetta and a bottle of wine.

As they started on with their meal, they continued talking, mostly about their work. Spencer felt laid back the whole time and so as Lila. They were clearly enjoying each other's company. After eating, they paid their bills and left. She told him not to bring a car and so he didn't.

"It's better to take a tour without any car. It's more fun!" she told him while on the phone just before they were about to meet. He shrugged and finally gave in with her idea. She was the one in charge after all.

They made it to the famous Hollywood Boulevard in just a short walking distance from the restaurant. The streets were neon-lit and there were people everywhere. Some were taking pictures with dressed-up characters while others are just sight-seeing.

"Spencer!" he turned to Lila's direction and saw a flash of light. "Hah! You look like a deer caught on headlights!" she was laughing when she showed him his picture from her camera.

"That's unfair. I didn't get to pose." He said with a frown.

"Okay, say cheese!" she took another picture of him smiling shyly. "C'mon! Let's take a picture of you in the Walk of Fame."

They made their way through the crowd. Spencer felt he was in some kind of other world of neon lights. Everywhere he looks, there were lights glittering. He was caught off guard when Lila held his hand, tugging him to Charlie Chaplin's star.

"Charlie Chaplin?" he asked her while she took some pictures of him. "How did you know?"

"That he's your favorite? Let's just say, I predicted." She said, the smile on her lovely face still unscathed the whole time. "Let's take a picture together." She asked a man to take a picture of them and thanked him afterwards.

Everything happened so damn fast for Spencer. He never thought he'll be able to hang out with Lila after all what happened. Lila wasn't like a Hollywood actress and Spencer didn't expect her to be like that with him. Hell, he expected that she wouldn't even talk to him. People who might have recognized her will look at them and she didn't even seem to notice when some paparazzo took pictures of her. As they approached the Grauman's Chinese theater, Spencer turned to face her and he saw something different from her. She looks like she was really enjoying his company. They took more pictures while joking around.

"I want to take you someplace you shouldn't miss before going back to Quantico." Lila said with enthusiasm.

"Where?"

She just smiled slyly before telling him, "It's a secret for now." She hailed a taxi without any delay.

"Where to?" asked the taxi driver. She handed him a paper with their destination written on it. Spencer tilted his head and tried to read the paper but Lila covered his eyes.

"No peeking!" she covered his eyes playfully. Spencer surrendered and she released him eventually. "I'm telling you, you're gonna love there."

"You're the only tour guide who never tells where she will take her tourists." Lila laughed some more and he can hear the middle-aged taxi driver chuckling too.

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Their trip lasted for almost an hour and Spencer was surprised to where Lila took him.

"Ta-da!" she said with pure excitement and pulled Spencer towards the towering Griffith Observatory. "Welcome to the Griffith Observatory, where you will get to see the perfect view of the city."

"Wow." They went to the edge of the park and watched the glowing lights of the city. Spencer thought it looked so incredible. He was truly stunned to see the Hollywood from a different view. Plus, he has someone beside him who is equally stunning. He turned to his right and found Lila staring at the city as well. "Beautiful." he complimented without gazing away from her and when she was about to turn to his direction, he quickly looked away.

"I know, right? Whenever I'm stressed with work, I'll just go here and relax." She took a deep breath and exhaled. "So have you lived a little, Spencer?"

"Well I thought about it for the last few years, and guess what." She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't. And now is the only time that I actually lived a little." He chuckled before continuing. "I can only live a little when I'm with you."

Spencer didn't miss the blush that appeared on her cheeks. She bit her lower lip and he thought it was cute.

"Excuse me." They both turned to a man dressed in uniform a few feet away from them. "I just like to remind that we're gonna close at 10."

"Yeah. Thanks for reminding." Spencer replied and the man approached another couple leaving Spencer and Lila alone.

They left the observatory and luckily for them, a cab was waiting for passengers just outside the gate. Both of them just sat silently throughout the trip. Spencer felt some kind of awkwardness surround them suddenly and blamed himself for it.

The cab halted in front of Lila's apartment. It was the same apartment she used to rent during the stalking case. Spencer stopped when he reached the porch. Lila stopped in her tracks as well then gazed back at him.

"So this is it huh?" She said with a smile and sighed afterwards. "You know, I just wish you could stay here for a bit longer." Her voice was almost a whisper when she said the last sentence but Spencer heard it loud and clear. She stared directly into his eyes and he saw tears start to form.

Spencer slowly walked towards her with his eyes fixed on hers. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheeks. As if on cue, he took one step towards her and they were so close to each other Spencer can smell her fruity scent. Spencer looked at her with passionate eyes and then down to her lips. He leaned closer to her face until their lips locked. The kiss was chaste at the beginning but as the seconds pass by, it intensified until they were actually making out. He gently pulled Lila by her waist and Lila placed her arms around his neck. They pulled away from each other when they were both out of air but their distance was still close.

"I wish I could too." He said with a hoarse voice and planted another kiss on her lips. "But-"

"Spencer, you don't have to say anything." She smiled at him, concealing the sadness that was engulfing her. He stared at her, memorizing every detail of her beautiful face and she smiled at him reassuringly. "I will miss you."

"I will, without any doubt, will miss you too."

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><p><strong>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. :) Reviews and suggestions are very welcome and appreciated. :D<strong>

**Thank you! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites! Enjoy! :)**

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.**

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><p>With a cup of coffee on his hand and his messenger bag hanging on his shoulder, Spencer briskly walked across the empty hotel lobby. It was just 4 in the morning and a cup of coffee hardly helped him to stay awake. He had a hard time sleeping last night because of the fact that he can't get Lila off his mind. He can't help it but wonder if he did the right thing, to just leave like that. The make-out session he shared with her was definitely the highlight of his night but something didn't felt right and it's because he didn't have a chance to say what he really feels towards her.<p>

"Hey Reid, wait up!" Spencer stopped from his tracks and turned to see Derek catching up with him. Derek had this silly smile on his face and Spencer already knew what will be coming next. "So how did your first date with Lila go?"

Spencer heaved a sigh. Sometimes he wishes that his colleague would just stop meddling with his private business. Derek seemed to be amused when there's a girl linked with Spencer.

"It went well." He simply said. Derek frowned at him, he definitely wants other details and Spencer knew that the less he says the pushier Derek would be.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. That's probably it." it was Spencer's turn to frown at Derek. "We should get to the jet. Hotch said we should be there in 5. Where's Emily?"

Derek eyed him with the sudden change of topic. Spencer knew what his friend was thinking about and it goes like, '_This kid is definitely hiding something from me.'_ Derek was about to say something else when Emily emerged from the elevator.

"Hey guys." Emily said as she strode across the lobby and towards the two men. She faced Spencer and gave him a sly look. "Hey Reid. How did your date go?"

Spencer heaved another sigh. Lila was right. His colleagues are concerned about him… especially his love life.

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The streets of LA were filled with flickering lights even if it's still 4am. Spencer stared at the dazzling lights as they drove to the airport. His mind was flocked with thoughts about Lila and their little date. Maybe he should have told her what he truly feels about her so this bugging feeling would leave him alone. He imagined what would happen if he decides to go back to her.

"_Stop the car!" Derek and Emily looks at him with confused expressions on their faces. "Stop it!" he shouts again. The car halts abruptly. Spencer jumps out of the car and stops a cab. Derek and Emily gets out of the car and called out to him._

"_Where are you going Reid?" Derek shouts angrily at him but he just instructs the cab driver to drive him off to a certain address. _

"_Tell Hotch I'll stay here for a couple of days." He said while he sat at the back of the taxi. "Step on it." Before the two can stop him, the taxi drove away. _

_Spencer arrives in front of Lila's apartment. A few lights were left turned on inside. He stopped to sigh before walking towards the fancy looking house. The temperature was not hot but Spencer was sweating. He pressed the doorbell once, twice, thrice until he heard some movement inside. The door opened and Spencer was surprised to see the person behind it._

"_Spencer? What are you doing here?" Lila asked, surprised to see the genius as well. It took some time before Spencer can think of something to say. He just stared at her a couple of seconds before scratching his head._

"_I have no idea." He said with a nervous laughter. She gave him a smile which made Spencer's world stop for a moment. He pulled her close by her waist and kissed her instantly. She hesitated to kiss him at first but gave in afterwards. The kiss turned into a make-out session again but with more passion and intensity. Lila was the one to pull away first but still held close to him._

"_I'm so glad you're back." She whispered to him and planted another kiss on his lips. She pulled him inside her apartment and Spencer dropped his bag just after he pushed the door close. They kissed again and Spencer trailed kisses on her neck and her shoulders -_

"Reid!" he jumped in surprise when Derek called him. They already arrived in the airport and his two coworkers are already walking away. "What are you waiting for?"

He quickly got out of the car, took his bag, and ran after them. They were smirking at him as he followed.

"Something definitely happened with them." Derek whispered to Emily which they both laughed at.

Spencer was busy with his own thoughts that he didn't hear what they just said.

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>*8*8*8*<p>

The jet was filled with silence as they flew back to Quantico. Derek was sleeping in one corner with his music plugged into his ears; Emily was busy reading a book and was sitting across Hotch who was, in the other hand, reading a case file. Rossi was busy surfing on his laptop.

Spencer just sat on the farthest seat of the jet and was intently staring outside the window. He was holding a cup of coffee and sipped it. He wanted to sleep a little before they land but thoughts of Lila didn't let him. Replaying in head the things that happened last night kept him busy. This is why he is glad that he has an eidetic memory. He will never forget the face of someone who he cares about so much and the moments he spent with her.

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>*8*8*8*<p>

Spencer lay back in his seat after doing all his reports and filing them neatly in his drawer. He stretched his arms and yawned. If there will be one thing he hated doing after a case that will be writing down reports. He wasn't vocal about it especially to his colleagues since it will not do anything good plus he gets it done in just an hour. He heard his phone chirp from his pocket and he took it out. He almost fell from where he was sitting when he read it.

**Hi Spencer. Ure probably too busy ryt now w/ ur work but I just wnt 2 let u knw dat I rly enjoyd last nyt. Im glad 2 see u again. – Lila**

He instantly blushed after reading the message and typed in his reply.

**I enjoyd it 2. Tnx to my tour guide of course. =)**

After a couple of minutes, his phone rang again. Spencer excitedly opened the message.

**It's my pleasure. LOL. How was ur flight? & how come ur texting ryt now? Ure supposed 2 b workng.**

He smiled to himself and wondered for a second what LOL means but didn't want to ask Lila about it.

**The flight was okay. I just finshed writing my report w/c means I have the rest of the day for myself. How about u? Aren't u going to some Hollywood business? =)**

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>*8*8*8<p>

Spencer was busy texting that he didn't notice that three of his colleagues, Derek, Emily and Penelope, were watching him. They were curious with the sudden change in the young doctor.

"So what do you think?" Derek asked the two women who were still ogling at Spencer from a distance. "There's something happening between them, right?"

"Definitely." said Emily while nodding.

"I am no profiler but I can say that our Junior G-man is inlove." Penelope said as she took off her glasses and acted as if crying. Derek and Emily laughed at the analyst. Just in time, Ashley came into the bullpen. Derek grinned as an idea struck him. He told Emily and Penelope his plan and they all thought it was a good idea.

"Hey Seaver." The new recruit turned to their direction. "Come over here." She obliged as she left her bag in her table and strode towards them.

"We're gonna give you some kind of test." Emily said. Ashley just nodded and looked at the amused faces of her other colleagues but let her superior continue, "Profile Reid right now."

They all turned to Spencer, who is still busy texting with a dubious grin on his face. Ashley raised an eyebrow.

"Isn't there a rule here that we can't profile each other?" she asked as she faced the three.

"It's just for fun. And it's just between the four of us." Penelope reassured the younger agent. "Go on. Tell us what you think of Reid right now."

Ashley gave them a hesitating look before agreeing with them. "Alright." The three grinned at her as she observed Spencer's actions. "He keeps looking at his phone even if it's not ringing means he's waiting for some kind of text or call from somebody."

"Continue." said Penelope. Then Spencer's phone rang.

"He's blushing and smiling happily as he reads the text means that whoever he's texting is -" Ashley faced them instantly and saw the three laughing. "Is this for real? He has a girlfriend?"

"Maybe. We still don't know either." Derek declared. "But I have a good guess who she might be."

"Oh I know who you're thinking, loverboy." Penelope added.

"Me too, though I didn't get to meet her." Emily said.

"Who is it?" asked Ashley.

"All of you in the conference room, now." Hotch suddenly emerged from his office with Rossi standing beside him. Derek, Emily, Penelope and Ashley turned to the two older agents' stern faces. The tension was suddenly eased when they all heard a cackle from one of the work stations. They were all stunned to see it was Spencer. He laughed so loud they all were so stunned to react, except Hotch.

Hotch cleared his throat which finally caught the doctor's attention. Spencer turned to them, clueless with what happened.

"Reid. Conference room. Now." Hotch said in a very somber tone. Spencer stood from his desk in just a second and followed his colleagues. Derek and Penelope were laughing so hard when Hotch left them while Emily just smirked. Ashley gave him a surprised reaction and eventually laughed with the other two.

"What's funny guys?" he asked them but they just ignored him as they made their way to the conference room.

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>*8*8*8*<p>

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><p><strong>Don't forget to write a review! Thanks! :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Here comes the fifth chapter.. I hope you all enjoy this and thanks again to all that reviewed, added this fic to their alerts and favorites.**

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS**

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><p>Spencer walked along the long, dark hallway and stops every once in a while, contemplating if what he's about to do will bring him good or not. He breathed out and continued approaching the farthest room in the corridor. He can only think of one person that can help him in his dilemma and that person is in the other side of the door he is now facing.<p>

_I have to do this. I HAVE to. There's no going back now._ He said to himself.

He glanced around the hallway, making sure no one sees him with what he was about to do. He turned the door knob slowly and carefully, putting all his worries aside.

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_Two days earlier…_

"_Hello Doctor Spencer Reid, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Spencer chuckled at the cheerful voice of the woman on the other line. Every time he hears her voice his mood instantly lightens up. "What's up?"_

"_Hey Lila." He said in a soft voice, keeping it inaudible from his coworkers doing their work not too far from his desk. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"_

"_No, not really. I just got back from the groceries and you called just in time." He can hear paper bags crumpling in the background and he can imagine her arranging her groceries in the shelf. "What about you? Isn't it time for you to be doing your work, Dr. Genius?"_

_He smiled. He already finished all paper works the night before so there's nothing else he needed to do. In the past few weeks, he did the same routine. He does everything one after another to gain a lot of free time, which means he can talk or text Lila all the time. "I just finished everything."_

_It's her turn to chuckle before adding, "Of course you did. So how's it going out there?"_

"_Just the same. Nothing really new, bad guys here and there." He replied. Spencer didn't really want to talk about him, what he wanted was to hear her voice, hear her laugh. It seemed like he was back in being a teenager, a lovesick teenager specifically. It's been almost a month since they last saw each other and they've been keeping in touch ever since. They mostly text when they got time and even at times when the team is out of town solving cases._

"_When are you going back here in LA?" she asked all of a sudden. _

"_I really don't know." There was a long pause before he added, "But if I have the chance to get there, you're the first one to know."_

"_It'll be great to see you again, Spencer." with those words she just uttered, Spencer felt his heart pounded. _

_He didn't know where it came from, but an idea started running in his big brain. He suddenly remembered Garcia, Emily and Derek using the tablet for video conference and wondered if he can get one of those too to get to see Lila without going to LA. _

"_Hey Lila, do you have those things called 'tablet'?" he asked with enthusiasm which puzzled Lila._

"_Yeah, why?" she asked him, scowling. Spencer was about to respond to her but was halted when Garcia came out from nowhere with a stack of files in her hands._

"_Guys, we have a case." She said to them and briskly walked towards the conference room._

"_I'm sorry Lila but I have to go. I'll call you later, okay?" he said to her, disappointed that he didn't get to talk to her a bit longer._

"_Okay. Hey Spencer?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Take care of yourself."_

_He blushed with she said and felt very flattered to know that she cares for him._

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Garcia was so busy playing her online character with headphone volume in full blast that she didn't notice Spencer enter her 'lair'.

"I'll finish you off in no time." She said with a big grin on her face as her character, an Elf-like princess geared with sword and a shield, fight head-on with an enormous dragon.

Spencer watched her in amusement and awe as she beat the crap out of the fire-breathing monster effortlessly. After giving her time to celebrate with her win, Spencer cleared his throat to let her acknowledge his presence. Garcia instantly froze in her chair when she heard someone. She slowly rotated her chair to face the intruder, praying to all gods she knew that it wasn't Hotch or Rossi.

"Good lord, it's just you Reid!" she breathed out in relief with her hand placed in her chest. "You scared the hell out of me!"

"I'm sorry I forgot to knock." He said apologetically.

"Promise me you'll never tell anyone with what you just saw or else you will regret it for the rest of your life!" she pointed her pen to him with fierce in her eyes. He nodded in reply. "So, what brings you, Dr. Spencer Reid certified genius profiler, here in Penelope Garcia's, self-proclaimed computer genius, sanctuary?"

"I-I… need to ask you, uhh... some kind of favor." he said to her making Garcia very curious. He had all her attention in an instant and she excitedly offered him a chair.

"Okay, okay. Skip that part and tell me what this is all about." Her eyes are wide as she waited impatiently for the Spencer to say what he needed from her. Spencer shifted uncomfortably in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I, uh, just wanted to know how you do that… uh videoconference thing in the tablet." He met her gaze and saw the excitement in her fade away.

"That's it? That's all you need?" she asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah."

"Oh I know you, Spencer Reid. There's something else you are keeping from me." He swallowed nervously. No he didn't want to tell her the whole story. It wasn't part of the plan. She glared at him.

"I-it's personal. I can't tell you about it." she glared at him more. Spencer sighed; he knew this was going to happen. "Okay, I'll tell you about it. But I want you to keep this a secret. It will be just between you and me, okay? If you tell anyone, I'll tell Hotch about you playing online games here in your office."

"Deal." She grinned at him and Spencer just sighed.

"Okay. Here it goes. You know Lila right?" she nodded and grinned more, she seemed very enthusiastic with the topic. "Uhmm. I want to see her but I don't have time to get to LA, given the nature of our job. So when I remember you talking through the tablet, I thought, you know…"

Garcia laughed heartily and said to the confused doctor, "No problem mister. I can help you with that. Though, I'm still curious with something." Spencer swallowed harder. _Please don't let it be another question about Lila._ "Is there something going on between you two?"

Spencer stopped and thought of an answer. He and Lila have been talking anything under the sun but they didn't discuss anything about having a relationship. He just can't open that topic yet, he thought it can be too straightforward and it might freak her out. He was tempted to ask her about it one time but he held his tongue back. And he wanted to ask her that face-to-face, when he will have the time to visit her in LA.

"Hey, Reid. Answer me." Garcia snapped her fingers close to his face pulling Spencer back to reality.

"W-we're just friends." He said to her but the analyst didn't look convinced.

"Oh I know you feel something for her." she smiled at him. "Tell me exactly what happened on your date."

Spencer sighed again and a '_Do-i-have-to?' _look on his face. He started stating everything that happened and Garcia kept silent the whole time. He even told her about the kiss which made Garcia giggle.

"Our baby genius is now a man! I'm so proud of you, honey." She said and gave him a friendly hug.

"But Penelope, do you think she likes me too?" he asked. Garcia smirked at his question and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She agreed to have dinner with you, she strolled around town with you, she kissed you back and didn't push you away. She even finds time to talk with you even if she's as busy as you." She paused before asking, "Now tell me as a profiler, do you think she likes you?"

Spencer was dumbfounded. He was glad that he confided with Garcia and it felt like a big burden was lifted from his shoulder. She suddenly swiveled her chair to face her computer and started typing very fast. Suddenly, a picture of a tablet was displayed on the screen.

"Buy this one, genius. This is the best tablet available in stores right now." She said.

Spencer stood from his seat and neared her before asking, "Are you sure?"

"Who's the computer genius here?"

"You. Okay, okay. I'll buy that one."

"Do that and bring it here. I'll be doing some modifications on it so you can talk to your ladylove in no time." he grinned at her and said his thanks. "I should have bought you too when I got some for the team."

"It's fine. Thanks again, Penelope." He was about to exit the room when he faced her again, "This will be just between you and me, right?"

"Sure. As long as you don't tell Hotch about what you saw."

Reid left her alone and whistled happily to himself as he went back to the bullpen. He reached his desk and waited excitedly for the office hour to end.

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**Was it bad? Or was it good? Tell me what you think through your review! Just click on Review this Chapter! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**SIXTH CHAPTER!**

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.**

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><p>"And cut! It's a wrap! Thank you everyone for your hard work!" a man in his 30's stood up from his chair and walked towards Lila. The crew and staff started to walk away, another long day of shooting for the movie just ended. "You did great Lila!"<p>

"You did great too, Adrian. It's been a pleasure working with you." She replied with enthusiasm.

"It will be just a matter of time and this movie will be a hit! I am sure of that!" he said with a big grin on his face. "Here comes the press. You know, they've been waiting all day for this shoot to end and I bet they're all waiting for you."

"Oh yeah. I saw them this morning." They both turned to the people from different TV stations waving at Lila. They were all eager to catch her attention. He shrugged before turning back his attention to her.

"I'll leave you to that, okay? I've always want to be the one behind the camera, not the other way around." He winked at her. Adrian left hurriedly leaving Lila flocked with cameras and reporters. Lila gained all her composure and flashed her thousand-watt smile to the fervent reporters. They all fled to her as they all push each other aside.

"Lila, when will this movie be released?" One of the reporters eagerly asked.

"It will be released next month. So watch out for it." she replied, her smile unwavering.

"What is the movie all about?"

"Well, it's about a modern day woman struggling to keep her marriage work out but finds another love in the process. It will be fun so I invite everyone to watch it." she smiled at the camera and the reporters struggled to ask her another question.

"Lila, people are curious if you're dating someone right now. What can you comment on that?" she paused for a while and there was only one person who instantly filled her mind… _Spencer_. The reporters patiently waited for her answer and she can see in their eyes the curiosity in her personal life. She sighed but her smile was back again before she answered, "No I'm not dating anyone right now."

"What can you say about what your co-star, Alex Craig, said in an interview last time?" a female reporter with a golden brown hair and a protruding chin asked. "That he likes to ask you out?" Lila remembered watching that interview last night. _Alex Craig. _Yes he was a burly guy who is currently included in the list of the sexiest men in Hollywood but he is arrogant and loves himself too much. He tried to ask her out a few times and flirted with her since day one of their shoot but she consistently turned him down. He was the typical Jock and, sadly, he thinks he is still in high school.

She shrugged and smiled at the reporter who asked the question, "I want to focus on my career right now."

"Does that mean you reject his offer?" another reporter asked. All of their attentions are now diverted to her. She felt trapped.

Before Lila could answer the inquiry, her publicist interjected in the conversation. "I'm sorry everyone but the interview is now over." The security led Lila away from the eager crowd and made her way to her trailer.

"Thanks Dina for backing me up out there." Lila said to her publicist, who was walking beside her as they made their way back to her trailer. "I appreciate it."

"It's nothing." Dina replied and winked at her. Lila just replied a smile. Dina knew that she doesn't want to date Alex and she was glad that she came to rescue her on time.

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Lila was now alone in her trailer. She opened her tablet and logged on different social networking accounts she had. She wasn't really a fan of the sites but her manager told her to have one to get in touch with her fans. _It's free publicity!_ Her manager told her once. As usual, there were hundreds of fan messages that flooded her page. There were a couple of hate messages but she learned, after a long time, to just ignore them. As she was replying to some of her fans' messages, a notification popped out. Someone was sending a request to add her in her Skype account and the username really caught her attention. _Dr_Genius? _It reminded her of Spencer. _Nah, it can't be. He isn't into these things. _She clicked reject but after a while it popped out again.

She scowled. Since the stalking incident, she became a bit cautious with the people who she interacts with especially through the internet. But this time she feels unalarmed and there was a nagging feeling that she knows the person behind the username. She finally clicked the approve button. It wasn't long when her tablet started ringing which made her disoriented. She answered the call and waited as the video of the other person started to buffer.

"Hey Lila!" Just as she heard the voice from the other line, Spencer showed up on her screen.

"SPENCER!" She couldn't help herself but to squeal. If she could hug him through the tablet, she could have already done it. He is there. Spencer. Grinning at her like a fool. And she was grinning like a fool too. "How? What…?"

Spencer laughed amusingly. He enjoyed her reaction when she finally saw who he was. "Did I surprise you?"

"You did more than that!" Lila said still not convinced that he was really there, talking to her. "You're using a tablet! I can't believe this! How did you tracked down this account?" She didn't tell anyone of her Skype account since she just use them to call her parents.

"I got some help from a friend." He said meekly which Lila found charming. What even allured her is when he licked his lips that Lila couldn't look away from. Her heartbeat went from normal to abnormally fast.

"When did you start using tablets in the first place? And you also have a Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and even Google+ accounts?" She asked in awe as she browsed through the other requests he sent. Spencer really knows how to surprise her.

"I, uh, just bought my tablet a couple of hours ago. Penelope, do you remember her?" She nodded. She remembered that quirky technical analyst. "She was the friend I was talking about. She taught me how to use it."

"Wow. You're finally embracing the modern world, _Dr. Genius._" They both laughed at the emphasis.

"I told Penelope it was a stupid username but she said you will think it's cute. Do you think it's cute?" he asked, a bit embarrassed with his question.

"It's very cute." She smiled sweetly at him and it was now his turn to blush. Lila just stared at him through the screen and felt her heart jumping inside of her. Seeing Spencer stirs a lot of her emotions and no one from her past have made her feel that way. Spencer was different from all of them.

He chuckled and shyly looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry it's the best I could do to see you." He looked directly in the camera and Lila felt the passion in his eyes and it was melting her. "I really wanted to go there… to be with you."

"I want to be with you too." She muttered and her heart ached when she realized how much she missed him. She sighed before adding, "If only LA was just beside Quantico."

Spencer managed to laugh a little. "There's something I really, really want to ask you." He said while avoiding her gaze. Lila wasn't a profiler but she can sense hesitation and a hint of nervousness in him which confused her even more. He cringed before continuing, "I was gonna ask you this before I left but… something held me back. I was tempted to ask you over the phone but I figured it was not how it should be."

Lila couldn't help herself but to giggle as the awkward Dr. Spencer Reid continue to babble. _He is definitely nervous. _She said to herself. Spencer stopped talking and reddened when he saw Lila laughing.

"I'm talking too much, aren't I?" he asked and she just nodded in reply. His face turned redder.

"Look, Spencer. Just ask it."

He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. "I just want to ask if…"

Someone started knocking on the door, making both Lila and Spencer pause. "Ms. Lila Archer? Here's a delivery for you and it's urgent." She frowned, who would be sending her a mail? It couldn't be a fan mail since her manager was the one in charge collecting those letters ever since the stalking case.

"You should take it." Spencer said but she insisted to do otherwise. "It's urgent. You really should take it." She reached for the door, finding a delivery guy standing right outside her door with a huge bouquet of red and pink tulips in his right hand and an envelope in the other. She took it and thanked the man.

"Someone just sent me flowers." She said and smelled them. It wasn't her favorite kind of flower but it was truly beautiful. Spencer was smiling the whole time and it bugged her. "Why are you smiling like that?" she questioned him but he just continued watching her as she carefully opened the pink envelope which was handed to her along with the flowers. As she read the contents of the letter, she felt her heart stop.

"Could you be mine?" Spencer asked. His dreamy eyes were glued to her as he waited for her to say something. Lila was speechless. Tears started to form in her eyes and her heart started racing. It was the same question written on the paper she was holding.

"I-I…" She opened her mouth but no words came out. The moment seemed so unreal, so dream-like. She dreamed that Spencer would one day will ask her to be his girlfriend and she always practiced how she would say yes. It seemed so simple; but now that her dream came true, it was crucial.

"S-sorry. I am being too straightforward, aren't I?" Spencer darted his gaze down at his hands in front of him. Lila wanted to slap herself. She should have said yes in an instant!

"Spencer…" he looked back at her and was very surprised to see her eyes soaked with tears. "Yes, of course. Yes!" she said and his face lightened up in an instant.

Spencer smile ran from ear to ear. He became skeptical that she would say yes when she paused to think. The silence was deafening and he could swear that it was the longest second of his life. He wanted to jump in joy, scream if he could, because of the happiness overwhelming him but he was too stunned to move. As he looked back at Lila, he became more dumbfounded, it was not every day that he could see her beautiful face even if her face is streaked with tears.

"Lila, you know I don't really have an extensive grasp of how to handle a relationship, a long distance relationship in particular," he can feel a fuzzy feeling inside of him and Spencer wondered if that's what people experience when they are in love. All of her attention are now on him, she just look at him with her dazzling emerald eyes and listened to every word he says. "But I want you to know that I would love you every single day, every passing hour, every minute, second and I could go on and on until it reaches eternity. I love you, Lila."

The tears that she tried to contain are now streaming down her cheeks. She wiped them away but it was instantly flooded again. Spencer wished he was there, pulling her into his arms, kiss her and sweep her off her feet.

"I love you too, Spencer."

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><p><strong>Don't forget the reviews. :) <strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Before I forget, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. Enjoy :) **

****A/N: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.****

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><p>Spencer walked across the bullpen and went directly to his desk. The team just landed from Louisiana where they solved a case involving a child with special needs. The outcome was tragic for Spencer since the team and the police were too late to save the child's father and unsub. In the BAU department, profilers are expected to do their jobs without affecting them emotionally but sometimes he couldn't help it but to feel the grief of the victim's family.<p>

He placed his bag in his desk and sat comfortably in his chair. He closed his eyes and covered them. The headaches he had been enduring for the past few months were back again.

"Hey, Reid." Spencer opened one of his eyes and saw Morgan with Garcia. He swallowed hard, fearing that Garcia might already have told Morgan about him and Lila. "Aren't you going out?"

"I'll be doing some of the reports. You guys go ahead." He simply said and arranged neatly all the files on top of his desk. It will be going to be a long night for him and reminded himself to brew some coffee to survive the night.

"Aw c'mon you guys! Prentiss is always gone after work, Ashley is always studying for her subjects in the academy, JJ is busy with her 'Pentagon business' and you…" Garcia squinted through her glasses and pointed at him accusingly which alarmed Spencer. "You would rather work here than chill-out with me and my mocha prince here?"

"C'mon Reid! Let's go!" Morgan said. Spencer just stared at the two, unmoved by their glares. Finally he sighed.

"Guys, go on without me. For sure, I'll just sit there all night watching you two owning the dance floor."

"Suit yourself." Morgan gave him a discerning look before he walked away.

"Bye, sweet cheeks. See ya tomorrow!" Garcia said as she followed Morgan down the hall. Spencer watched them go and they mockingly waved goodbye to him until the elevator door closed before them. He glanced at Hotch's office and then at Rossi's, they were already gone too. He sighed, took one folder from the stacks near him, and started to read.

_This is going to be a long night, _he thought.

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The BAU building was almost pitch-black but that didn't stop Spencer from doing his work. He stood up to refill his mug with a very strong coffee to stop him from dozing off. As he made his way back to his desk, his tablet rang. He carefully took it out from his bag. There was only one person who would be calling at this time and Spencer couldn't help himself but to feel excited to see her. It took a while until the picture of Lila wearing a tee with her hair tied in a ponytail appeared on his screen.

"Hi Spencer!" Lila said. She was as energetic as usual. She grinned at him but it turned to a frown after a while. "Where are you? Why is it dark in there?"

"I'm still at the BAU office." She frowned more. She always tells him to rest after a case, saying it was not good for his health to always stay up long for work but he was restless when he wasn't doing anything. "Don't worry. I'll just finish some of the reports so -"

"Spencer, stop. Just do it tomorrow. What did I tell you?" she asked with sternness. Spencer chuckled and raised his arms declaring defeat.

"Okay, okay. I'll stop it." he laid back in his chair as his girlfriend grinned victoriously. "So how was your day?"

"It was good actually. But of course, it wasn't as great as when you are here. You know, with me." She teased with a playful smile. Spencer didn't take his eyes off of her. He knew that she was tired from work but she concealed it with her smile and bantering. He felt good just seeing her smile at him like she did from the first time they met. The entire depressive mood he had earlier had been gone in a flash. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well, I'm just wondering how you survived your fall."

"What fall are you talking about?" she asked, confused with what Spencer was talking about.

"You fell from Heaven, right?" he sheepishly beamed at her. "Because you sure do look like an angel to me."

Lila burst into a fit of laughter while Spencer just watched her with a big grin on his face.

"Aw, Spence. You're hanging out with Derek a bit too much." Spencer told her about his colleagues and though she hasn't met them, she knew them well too. "So, Loverboy, tell me what you ate for dinner."

Spencer pursed his lips into a thin line. He looked sideways and there was a carton of Chinese food he ordered earlier that night.

"What I have for dinner is," he showed her the carton and she raised an eyebrow. "Chinese food."

"Don't you eat 'real food', Spence?" She asked as she stood up from her seat and walked towards her kitchen. It was too huge kitchen for someone living alone. Spencer estimated that her kitchen was almost the size of his whole apartment.

"I do. But given the situation right here," he showed her the stacks of folder, "I had no choice."

She chuckled as she placed her laptop on top of her table, giving Spencer a clear view of her as she started prepping her meal.

"I didn't know you can cook." He said. Lila started sautéing and Spencer was clearly amazed with her skills.

"Well, I do when I have the time. My mom taught me when I was about to go to Julliard. She said I needed to learn so I don't have to always buy those kinds of foods you are having right now." She said to him and moved to the other side of the kitchen to get something from the fridge. "If ever you'll be in town, and I hope it will be soon, I'll cook something really special for you."

"I love that." He grinned, wishing that he can take a plane to Las Vegas in the weekend to visit his mother and drop by LA to visit Lila too. "You should have your own cooking show."

She giggled and went near the camera to show him her meal for the night. "Come over here. Dinner is served."

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Just when they were talking while they eat dinner (Spencer, unfortunately, had to stick with his cold Chinese food), the sound of the elevator opening halted both of them. Spencer turned around and saw Ashley coming out.

"Who was that?" Lila asked. Spencer faced her again.

"It's my coworker. The new one I was telling you about." He realized that Ashley came closer and he needed to finish his conversation with Lila if he doesn't want anyone aside from Garcia to know his relationship with Lila. "I need to go."

"I want to see her too."

"Who's there?" Ashley said out loud, her hand already on her gun. Spencer stood up from his desk and saw the gun already pointed at him. When she realized it was just Spencer, Ashley lowered it and frowned. "Oh God. I thought I was hearing things. What are you doing here, Reid?"

"I-I, uh, needed to finish some reports." He tapped the folders lying next to him. Ashley shifted her gaze from her colleague to the stacks of papers. "What are YOU doing here? Shouldn't you be already home by now?"

Ashley was about to reply but her attention was instantly caught by the tablet glowing in his desk. She gave him a questioning look before asking, "You have a tablet?"

"Yeah. Just bought it." He uncomfortably followed Ashley's gaze.

"Wow, that's great. You're officially off my luddite list, Doctor." Lila couldn't help but to laugh out loud with the other agent's comment. Both Spencer and Ashley turned to the tablet. "Who was that?"

"I-it's…" Her eyes narrowed making Spencer more uncomfortable each passing second. He is already caught and that left him with no choice but to tell her about Lila. He sighed and sat on his chair while Ashley stood next to him. "It's my girlfriend, Lila. Lila this is Ashley Seaver."

"Hi Ashley. It's good to see you." Lila smiled at her. Spencer turned to Ashley and was saw the agent wide-eyed.

"Lila? As in Lila Archer?" she tilted her head sideway. Lila nodded in reply while Spencer sighed again. Ashley turned to her gaze from the popular actress to the awkward agent beside her and whispered, "You're kidding, right?"

Spencer pursed his lips while Lila giggled.

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"I still can't believe she's your girlfriend." Ashley said with a laugh as she and Spencer exited the building. He turned to her direction and saw her smiling at him. Lila chatted up with Ashley back in the bullpen and they are already in good terms.

"I knew you'd say that." They are now walking along the sidewalk. There wasn't a single car on the street and taxis don't usually wait for passengers in that part of town. The only mode of transportation available for them is the train but they need to walk a bit more to reach the station.

"Everyone would be surprised if they find out about it." He suddenly faced Ashley and stopped from his tracks. "What's wrong, Reid?"

"Ashley, please don't tell them about her… yet." She stopped in her tracks as well.

"Why hide it?" He swallowed hard. Spencer hesitated as Ashley gazed at him with questioning look on her face. He shifted uncomfortably, eyes peering downward.

"I-I…" He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. "Lila isn't a trophy to brag about. If no one asked who I am with, I don't tell."

A moment of silence passed by until Ashley broke the silence. "Alrighty, your secret is safe with me." She winked at him and he smirked.

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****How was it? Tell me what you think through the reviews or PM me. :) ****


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for the reviews, alerts and favorites! Enjoy! :)**

**A/N: I DO NOT OWN CRIMINAL MINDS.**

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"Hi, this is Dr. Spencer Reid. Please leave your name and number along with a short message and I'll be sure to get back to you."

"Spencer, I'm worried about you. Call me back, please. I love you." Lila took a deep breath and sighed. It was the hundredth message she left for Spencer but he hadn't called back all day. He didn't text her anything all day either which was totally out of his character. Even if their team were working on a case, he would still leave a message in her voice mail or would text her if their case was a really big one.

"Hey, Lila!" A woman walked briskly towards her, pushing people out of her way. "Coming through! Get out of my way! This is an emergency!"

Lila watched her friend, Olivia; make her way through the crowd with a plane ticket in her hand. The brunette gave it to her upon reaching her spot and Lila gladly took it.

"Thanks Olivia. I owe you one."

"Yeah, don't mention it. But what I want to know is why you suddenly wanted to take that flight. Does Dina know you're leaving?" Lila shook her head, which surprised her friend. Lila had never once left Hollywood without telling her publicist.

"I would be back before she knows it." Olivia scowled at her, feeling pessimistic with Lila's little plan. "There's just something I need to take care of."

"Something or someone?" Lila pursed her lips, looking away. Olivia was the only one that Lila had told about her relationship with Spencer and her behavior just now proved that it involved the FBI agent. "Oh I see." She smiled knowingly at Lila.

"I had planned this for a while now. I want to surprise him."

"Aww, how cute! I really want to meet this guy. I want to see it myself if he's worth it."

"He is definitely worth it, I promise you that and hopefully, you would meet him soon too."

"_Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to Virginia._" Both Lila and Olivia listened to the announcement. _"Regular boarding will begin in approximately five minutes time. Thank you."_

"Well, I should get going." Lila took her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "See ya!"

"Okay. Just be careful and be back in time. I don't want Dina barging into my apartment looking for you." Lila nodded with a grin and waved goodbye to her friend.

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Spencer walked along the gloomy hospital corridor with the rest of the team. Nobody dared to break the silence. They were in the hospital the entire night and now that they were leaving, the fatigue and sadness overwhelmed all of them. The news of Emily's death had just sunk into each and every one of them and they all responded differently. Morgan was silent but his jaws clenched in anger while he comforted a sobbing Penelope. Ashley and Rossi walked side by side as they tried to hold back their tears. Hotch was ahead of them, keeping himself distanced from the rest of the team and with the same straight face. Spencer wanted to see Emily before they left but Hotch ordered him not to.

He felt a hand held his arm and saw it was JJ's.

"Hey Spence." She said. He shrugged and turned away. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I-I'll take the train. You go ahead." He felt he needed some time alone. He wanted to organize his thoughts. Emily's death reminded Spencer of the pain he felt when Gideon and Elle left. The worst part was Emily would never be back again.

The entire team went home with few words shared. Hotch didn't even said a word when he just left them. Morgan and Garcia drove away together as well as Rossi and Ashley. Spencer and JJ were left in the parking lot.

"C'mon, I'll drop you off in the station." JJ said to him and he followed without any hesitation. Spencer just sat in the passenger seat without speaking a word while JJ drove. His eyes were glued on the road ahead.

"It's not fair." He whispered.

"What's that Spence?"

"Why Emily? It's not fair!" He said louder than he anticipated and felt a pang of guilt overcame him. He shouldn't have raised his voice like that. No one was to blame except for Doyle. There was no reply from his best friend as she continued driving. He closed his eyes and leaned his head on the window. He flinched as his occasional headache started to take its toll on him again but decided to ignore it completely.

Minutes passed by and JJ didn't realize that Spencer was already asleep in the passenger seat. JJ sighed as she turned at her friend who looked so messed up. She thought of the last time he looked like this and knew that was when he was using Dilaudid.

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"Spence," JJ shook him slightly by his arm. He looked around and noticed that they were already in front of his apartment.

"JJ, you didn't have to." He said apologetically, cursing himself for sleeping. JJ smiled at him.

"Hotch just texted you, don't have to go to work tomorrow." There was no reply from him. "Spence -"

"Thanks again." Before he could exit the SUV, JJ grabbed him by the arm. He looked back at her.

"Spencer, if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

He just nodded and fiddled with the strap of his bag. "I know." He swallowed back the lump in his throat and avoided JJ's concern-filled gaze. "It's already late. Henry and Will would be worried."

JJ gave him a hug before he exited the SUV. He waited by the sidewalk until she was gone from his sight.

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The airport was as crowded as Lila thought it would be. The lobby was flooded with people dressed in suits and almost identical. If she were crazy, she'd think it was probably one of those flash pranks she watched on TV. She headed down to the exit, hailed a taxi and gave the driver the directions to where she was headed to. In a few minutes, she would finally see her boyfriend again. Her face was plastered with a grin all throughout the entire taxi ride and she didn't care even if the taxi driver was giving her weird glances.

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Spencer didn't know how long he was standing outside his apartment after JJ dropped him off. Just thinking about all the dreadful events that day, Spencer wished that everything had been just a dream. A very bad dream that he desperately wanted to wake up from. He buried his face in his hands and tightly closed his eyes. When he turned around to go inside his apartment, he heard a car stopped near him.

"Spencer!" He heard someone behind him call out and made his eyes open wide. He knew that voice. He quickly turned around and faced the person behind him and his eyes widened even more. And there, standing a foot away from him was Lila. He was caught up in the moment that he could not think of a reply. For the first time that day, he momentarily forgot about a friend's death. "I knew it was you!"

"L-Lila? What are you doing here?" He asked as he held her hand, making sure she was real and not some delusion he may be having. Her hands were soft and warm. She wrapped her arms around him and her perfume filled his lungs in an instant. Her smell somehow made him relax.

"I'm here to surprise you. But I think I arrived at a bad time." she released him from her arms and cupped his face. Spencer closed his eyes, thinking about how badly he missed her. Her touch miraculously made him feel a bit better. "Are you okay? You look like hell."

He just stared at her, taking in the beautiful site in front of him. She looked amazing even though her brows are knitted.

"Rough day." He said with a sigh.

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"I'm sorry Lila. I don't have anything more than this." Spencer gave her a bottle of water he got from his almost empty fridge and sat beside her in his couch. Lila took it and just held on to it, looking at Spencer. She had never seen him this disheveled. "I-I'm... so sorry I didn't call you all day or leave you a message."

"Spence, what happened?" She asked softly, almost pleading. Spencer looked to the other direction. "Please tell me. I know something is wrong." She reached for his hand, as she looked straight into his tired-looking eyes.

"Emily, she just passed away." Spencer tried hard to stop his tears from flowing. He didn't want to look so vulnerable and fragile in front of Lila. It was enough that the team saw him in that state. Again, a lump started to form in his throat.

Lila stared back at him in shock from the news she just heard.

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	9. Chapter 9

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Lila lay beside Spencer and watched him intently. He looked so peaceful and handsome; he was just like a little baby as he slept. She thought how surprised she was with the bad news, when she should be the one to be surprising Spencer with her sudden visit. He looked so disoriented last night and vulnerable though he tried to act like that he was just fine.

Thin lines, which Lila knew wasn't there when they first met, were now visible in his forehead. Six years passed by so fast and Lila wondered what had happened in those years to Spencer, which made him more mature now. Though she didn't want to admit it, something really changed in him. He was still the sweet, awkward, lovable Spencer to her but there was something in him that was different she couldn't quite put her finger on. For the hundredth time in her life, Lila felt stupid for not trying to keeping in touch with him after he left LA.

"_What if I called him after that? What if I didn't just wait for my phone to ring and wished it was him on the other line?"_ She sighed as more 'What-ifs' filled her mind. _"Will I know what right words to say to him right now if I had done differently six years ago?" _

She nibbled her lower lip as tears start to form in her eyes.

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"Hey you." He whispered softly to the blond beside him. It seemed surreal to finally wake up one morning and there she was, curled up and hugging him tightly. He was truly surprised last night when he saw her came out of the taxicab. She was like his lifesaver that just came in time to rescue him when he was about to die from drowning.

She lifted her gaze and met his. Spencer felt his breath leave him in an instant. Her face is still as beautiful as before, the sunshine on her face almost made her look like an angel.

"Hi." She said. Her smile was beaming but her eyes were telling Spencer another story. They were puffy and lacked the glow she always had. It was like she didn't get a good night sleep, as oppose to him who was sleeping so soundly (which rarely happens) even after the tragedy.

"What's wrong, Lila?" He asked as he leaned his face closer to hers. She sighed and stared back at Spencer.

"Nothing." She bit her lower lip and tried to avoid his questioning gaze but failed since Spencer held her face with his hands. "Why do you have to be a profiler?"

"I'm not profiling you." She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You're just not a good poker player."

She laughed a little, finally easing the worried face of her boyfriend in front of her. A stray tear ran down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.

"I know how it feels like to be in your place right now." He instantly knew what her point was. Six years ago someone who was close to Lila died too, her former manager and friend, Michael. "You can talk to me about it."

They just lay there, both of them contemplating what to say. Spencer didn't want to talk about it yet but then he felt he needed to. Lila looked genuinely worried about him.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "I knew Emily for 4 years now. She was just not a colleague. She was a friend and like an older sister to me." Lila, though she never personally met Emily, knew she was a good person through Spencer. He talked about each and one of them a couple of times and she knew how much he loved his coworkers. They were like his family. Lila just listened to Spencer as he told her some of the ups and downs of his life and how Emily and the rest of the team had been there for him.

"Losing her... Was worse than Gideon leaving." He finally said it, surprising Lila. But then it was true. At least Gideon is still alive somewhere and in just a few seconds; he could still be tracked down without Penelope breaking a sweat.

"Everything will be alright, Spencer." She said and touched his arm. "It will be hard to deal with it for the first few months but I know you can get through this, you and the whole team."

He was in the verge of crying but then he tried to control it. _No Spencer, not in front of her._ "I know… because you're here."

Lila felt heat spread all over her face in an instant and her heart pumped thousand times faster than its normal. She wanted to squeal like an infatuated middle school teenager but knowing it wasn't the right time, she kept her cool. Instead, she kissed him on his lips catching him off guard. He kissed back after regaining his composure and he felt her lips curve into a smile.

"I love you, Spencer." She said when their lips parted.

"I love you too, Lila." He replied and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she closed her eyes for a moment. She snuggled closer to him and buried her face on his chest.

The peaceful ambience suddenly turned to gloom when Spencer's phone rang.

"You should probably take that." Lila said to Spencer, who was obviously hesitant to answer the call. "Maybe it's important."

Spencer sat up and took the phone from the bedside table.

"Dr. Spencer Reid."

Lila sat next to Spencer and watched as her boyfriend change from his gentle and innocent demeanor turn to a somber and serious FBI Agent.

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"Spence, how are you?" JJ asked, imagining how much pain her best friend must be feeling. He had been through so much and the least she could do was to check up on him. After Gideon left, she promised she would always be there for him no matter what and he promised the same to her as well. He was also one of the reasons why she didn't want to transfer to Pentagon.

"Hey JJ, I'm fine." He replied with not much enthusiasm he used to have when they talk over the phone. Lila mouthed to her boyfriend she'll be going out. He nodded in reply and watched her leave the room.

"Do you want me to go over there?"

"No, really I'm fine. It's Saturday, you should spend your time with Will and Henry. Don't worry about me." There was silence on both lines and Spencer was the one to break it. "JJ, you don't really need to worry about me too much."

"Okay Spence. Just call me if you need anything."

"Yes, mom." JJ chuckled. "Say hi to Will and Henry for me."

"Sure. Henry's been looking forward to your next visit." Spencer couldn't help smile when he remembered his godson. The last time he visited was a couple of weeks ago when he gave him some toys and books. "See you tomorrow." She said which made Spencer's heart ache a bit. Tomorrow will be Emily's funeral. Her family didn't want to prolong her suffering and decided to bury her immediately. Spencer thought it was their way to cope with her death.

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Lila went out of the room not just because she wanted Spencer and his best friend, Jennifer, have their private conservation but because her phone was ringing too. The caller ID showed Olivia's number, which she was not expecting. She walked towards the kitchen and made sure Spencer was still in his room.

"What's up?" She answered using a very low voice.

"Lila! Thank God you finally answered your phone!" Her friend roared in the other line, which almost broke her eardrums. "I've been calling you for forever!"

"Olivia! Calm down!" she hissed. Her friend took her advice and Lila heard her took a deep breath and exhaled. "What's happening?"

"Dina, she's looking all over for you. And she's thinking about calling the police!" Olivia said. Lila's jaw dropped. Her publicist was exaggerating. She was just away for just a day and she was already assuming that something bad happened to her. Lila groaned and rubbed her left temple. "Should I tell her you're in Quantico right now?"

"No, no. I'm gonna call her."

"She's a bit paranoid, isn't she?" Her friend asked, laughing a little.

"Oh you know Dina. She's always like that."

"Enough talk about Dina. Tell me what's going on with you and Dr. Reid. Was he surprised?" Lila could tell by her friend's tone that she was very excited and would not leave the phone without hearing some cheesy information from her.

"Of course he was surprised. But there's something he needed to deal with right now so I don't think we could spend a lot of time together as opposed to what I have anticipated."

"Awww. That's too bad." The excitement was gone in an instant.

"Yeah. I think I'm not as good as him when it comes to surprises." Lila remembered when Spencer asked her to be his girlfriend over the Internet a few months back. It always made her feel so special whenever she remembered it. Olivia knew about it too and she was also enthusiastic when Lila was telling her about the heartwarming proposal. "I got to call Dina, talk to you later."

"Nah, you should spend your time with Dr. Reid. Just kiddin'! Fill me in with the details after you go back here." Lila thanked her best friend for her unwavering support to her unconventional relationship and said goodbye. "Call Dina and let's hope she will let you stay over there a bit longer."

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Thank you for all the reviews and favorites!  
>Keep 'em coming. :)<br>Enjoy!  
><strong>**Criminal Minds isn't mine.**

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Spencer stood in front of his mirror and took a final glimpse of his blue shirt he rarely uses. Lila and he decided to have their breakfast in the café he usually goes to. He wanted to spend as much time to be with her, to somehow divert his attention from Emily's death. Just as he was about to turn around to leave the room, he felt arms embraced him from behind. He faced Lila and hugged her back.

"It's gonna be okay, Spence." She whispered to him as she backed up a little to allot a space between the two of them.

He smiled at her. "If you weren't here, I would not know what to do." He said softly and quickly planted a kiss on her lips. Her hand lingered on top his chest as Spencer held her by her waist. "Thank you, Lila."

"You're welcome." She replied with a smile.

"So, are you ready to go?" He asked as he released her from his arms and started to collect his things.

"Yes." Lila replied as she gathered her stuffs as well. Her phone suddenly lit up but she quickly rejected the incoming call. "Let's go."

Spencer led her out of his apartment and Lila felt a little relieved he didn't notice what she just did.

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"Hi, it's Lila! Please try to call back later or leave a message." Dina placed her phone down and rubbed her temples. She tried calling Lila hundred times already but she was just being transferred to her answering machine. They were supposed to shoot a couple of scenes for her movie an hour ago but she was still a no-show. It was a good thing that there were still other scenes for co-star, Alex Craig, to finish and the staff were not yet aware that their lead actress was missing in action.

Dina dialed another number and waited patiently for the person to answer her call. Finally, it connected. "Hey Olivia! It's me Dina."

"Oh hey Dina, what's up?" Olivia already knew what was coming next. Her friend apparently didn't make a call to her publicist. Dina sounded so worried and Olivia felt a little guilty for not telling her where Lila is. She made a note to herself to scold her friend about it next time she talks to her.

"Were you able to talk to Lila?"

"Yeah. And I told her to give you a call." Olivia frowned. If she wasn't sane she would think that Lila is actually sabotaging her own career and from what she was seeing she was doing a fine job. Her friend must be really head over heels in love with the 'Dr. Reid'. "Let me guess, you want me to give her a call."

"Can you call her again? Please? I'm already at the location and she's not answering any of my calls." Olivia knew without even seeing Dina that she was already looking pale and disoriented. She sighed, disheartened with her friend's actions lately. "Tell her Amy will both kill us if she doesn't come here immediately."

"Well, okay."

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Spencer almost jumped from his seat when Lila's phone suddenly rang from her purse. He just let it ring for a few times and glanced at Lila who was still in the line, waiting for her turn to order a coffee for the two of them. Spencer wanted to make the order but Lila insisted that she do it. He didn't have any other choice and finally gave in.

The ringing phone halted for a few minutes and Spencer thought the caller gave up but then it started ringing again. He half-heartedly took the phone from the purse and saw Lila's friend, Olivia, calling her. He knows a little about Olivia but he never got to talk to her, not until now. He cautiously pressed the answer button.

"It's about time you answer your damn phone!" She yelled from the other line and she didn't waste any moment telling Lila, but in this case Spencer, how Dina was looking everywhere for her. Spencer just listened the whole time, putting the pieces altogether. "Hey, why are you not answering me?"

Spencer cleared his throat and nervously answered, for the fear that the woman in the phone would somehow be able to eat him alive, "Uh, Lila isn't available right now. Would you like to relay that message to her?"

The line went silent and Spencer was sure that Olivia was shocked not to hear Lila's voice respond. He looked back at the phone, making sure that it didn't disconnect.

"I-is this Dr. Spencer Reid?" Olivia asked, embarrassed and surprised at the same time. She didn't expect to hear from him. She wanted to slap herself for going on and on doing all the yakking without getting suspicious that Lila wasn't talking back. If it was Lila, they would be both yelling at each other right away. She heard him chuckle on the other line.

"Yes. This is Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Sorry about that. I thought you were Lila." There was silence and she forgot to introduce herself. "I'm Olivia, by the way. I'm really sorry for that."

"It's okay. Well, you already know who I am. Lila couldn't get on the phone right then." He paused and Olivia knew what was coming next. "She didn't tell anyone back there?"

Olivia desperately wanted to hang up just to avoid the topic but she felt bad for Spencer. In a hushed tone, she replied, "Kinda. You know I'm supposed to keep that a secret." She sighed, "But since you already figured it out, there's no point in hiding it from you."

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Lila carefully made her way back to their table with coffee cups in her hands. She saw Spencer looking out in the busy street, his back on her.

"Coffee with lots of sugar for Dr. Spencer Reid." She cheerfully said as she placed them on top of the table.

"You should have called me or maybe asked someone to help you." Spencer stood up and offered her his seat, which she gratefully took.

"It's fine. I can handle it." She said with a smile. "What's up with you? You look like something's bothering you."

"Your friend, Olivia, just called." Spencer said solemnly, his hands on the coffee cup. Lila looked back at him, surprise written all over her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to answer it but then I thought it might be something important."

"What did she say?" Lila asked after clearing her throat and trying to look unaffected at all.

"That Dina was looking allover for you. Lila, why did you left LA without telling anybody about it?" The worry in his tone was evident.

"Look Spencer, I am an adult. I can go wherever I want whenever I want to." She said with determination making Spencer scowl. "And I wanted to be with you. They can't stop me."

"You could've left a note or called her when you got here." He said in a tone with the same determination as Lila.

The thought of Dina letting her go to Quantico on the day before a shoot made Lila scoff. "It's not that easy, Spence." She took a sip of coffee and for moment she and Spencer held each other's gaze but she eventually gave up. "Okay, I was wrong. I admit it." she raised her palms in surrender.

Spencer sat back and eyed his coffee as hot steam emanated from his cup. Lila felt uncomfortable whenever he stays silent and seeing him deep in his thoughts didn't even help her feel well.

"Hey, what's eating you?" she reached out to hold his hand. He sighed and looked up to her, looking like a beaten man.

"I think…" he rubbed the back of his neck. "You should go."

"What?" she asked a little disappointed in him, tears lingering in the corner of her eyes. It was Spencer's turn to hold both of her hands and gently caressed them.

"Don't get me wrong Lila, I want to be with you right here and I couldn't tell you how happy I am with what you've done for me. But…" he cupped her face and looked straight into her eyes. "Things are really complicated right now. Your job needs you back and my job, well…"

"It's totally fine," she said as she gulped down the lump forming in her throat. "Things aren't going smoothly for us." Lila smiled at him widely but Spencer could tell she was hurt. Even without his knowledge in profiling, he can easily determine how Lila feels.

"I'm sorry Lila."

"There's nothing to say sorry about. Though…" She paused for dramatic effect. "There's something you still owe me."

Spencer frowned at her, confused.

"You're supposed to take me to a tour! I can't believe you forgot about it!" She said laughing and Spencer suddenly remembered. It was something they have talked about during one of their conversations. Lila apparently never been to Washington D.C., and he promised to take her around if she ever happened to be in town, just like what she did for him when he was in LA.

"No I didn't." She smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay I may have." He grinned at her.

"For a guy like you, that's a first." She pulled him up on his feet. "Where will you take me?" she said with enthusiasm as they continued to walk down the streets, hand in hand.

"You'll just know it when we get there."

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	11. Chapter 11

_**Hey guys! Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, adding this story to your favorite, and of course, being very patient with me. I don't update regularly (you guys probably know that already****) but I won't abandon this, I promise. ****Just needed to focus on my upcoming exams or my mom would kill me. LOL. (Not joking).  
><strong>**Oh! Before I forget, thank you ReKoJ!**_

**Criminal Minds isn't mine.**

* * *

><p>It was Emily's funeral and he never thought that this day would come so soon. Not once did he thought he would find himself attending the funeral of one of his closest friend. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He desperately wanted Lila to be with him right that very moment, to have stopped her from going back to Hollywood last night, but his rationale won the debate. The ideas of making her stay just to have her by his side and making her abandon her job back in LA was really selfish. He felt disgusted of himself when he thought of it again.<p>

_What was I even thinking? _He asked himself as he grabbed his bag and locked his apartment door. He straightened his trench coat and placed his scarf around his neck. Though it was still a couple of hours before the start of the ceremony, he already left his apartment to grab his daily dose of coffee.

The café he and Lila went to was almost empty when he arrived; his coffee was served in just a minute. He sat next to the window, giving him a good view of the people walking down the streets of the busy city. The sadness over Emily's death dawned over him again. It made him realize how things that are precious to one person can easily be taken in just a flick, for instance a friend.

_Emily will never be back. _He thought and felt gloomier when he remembered he didn't had the chance to say goodbye to her when she was in the morgue. If Hotch permitted him to see her for the last time, his conscience would not be nagging at him. _Why didn't he let us see her anyway? _It was a question he had been asking himself since they left the hospital.

A familiar chirp came from his pocket and he took out his phone. The caller ID of his phone showed JJ's name. He felt himself relax a little.

"Spence, where are you?" She asked, alarm in her voice.

"Crappyccino." He said and took a sip from his cup of coffee. The way she asked made him tense. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh. Nothing." He heard JJ heave a sigh from the other line. "I'll be there in a sec."

She ended the call leaving Spencer totally puzzled over her sudden phone call. _A sec? She's near here? _He instinctively looked outside through the window and just around a corner he saw her walking down to his direction.

"JJ over here." Spencer called out when his friend entered the café and went looking for him. She sat down across him after getting herself a cup of coffee.

"I dropped by your apartment," she said in a monotonous tone, like what his mom used when he was still a kid and he had done something wrong. "Spence, you didn't answer any of my calls yesterday! What were you thinking?"

Spencer just shrugged. He was guilty of it and he was tempted to tell her he was with Lila the whole day. She will be surprised and her anger will be gone in a nanosecond, Spencer was sure of it, but it was not yet the right time to reveal to her his secret. Not until everything will be back to normal.

"I'm sorry I worried you, JJ. Don't worry it won't happen again." JJ stared at him for a couple of seconds until she sat back and let her anger subside. Spencer looked out the window just to avoid his friend's scrutinizing eyes. "What?" he asked after he couldn't take the pressure anymore.

"I get the feeling you're hiding something from me." She asked, eyes narrowing. He looked back at her at the same time, feigning innocence. "What is it Spence?"

He sighed. Talking about his love life will be totally out of place and obviously not the right time, instead he thought of the other thing that was continuously bugging him for the past days. He leaned closer to her, keeping their eye contact firm.

"Why didn't you and Hotch let us see Emily?" He questioned earning a frown from JJ. She turned her gaze to the brewed coffee in front of her and shrugged. The longer she kept silent, the more curious he became.

JJ cleared her throat and met Spencer's stare. And spoke very softly, "It's for everybody's good. We all want to keep a good memory of Emily's face. We don't want to remember her, what she looked like, in her last dying moment."

Spencer sighed and looked down on his now cold coffee. "You're right. I don't want that." He emptied the contents of his cup and JJ did the same.

The two of them left the coffee shop and hailed a taxi. There were few cars on the road to the funeral service allowing them to arrive in a shorter time. With a heavy heart, he and JJ walked towards where men and women all dressed in black coats gathered.

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"Are you aware that you scared the hell out of us?" Amy, Lila's manager, asked without taking her eyes off of her. "Dina was calling you day and night and you decided just yesterday to call? If we didn't ask for Olivia's help we would not get ahold of you!"

Lila just listened as her manager continued her tongue-lashing. She figured she deserved it after she left without letting them know where she will go or when she would be back. She imagined Spencer giving her thumbs up if he was there. Dina walked into the room and she winked at her.

"I think she already learned her lesson." Dina said as she sat next to Lila. Lila mouthed 'Thank you' to her publicist. It has been half an hour since her manager started to lecture her and her voice started to hurt Lila's ear. Amy rolled her eyes and started talking about Lila being a spoiled brat. Lila smiled to herself. If Spencer has his BAU team as his family, Lila has her manager, publicist down to her personal assistants and makeup artists as her family. They were all good to her and treated her well.

"Look, I'm so sorry I left without telling you guys. I really am." She said, trying her best to sound pitiful as much as she can. "And it won't happen again, I promise."

"You should be. Thank heavens Alex Craig didn't finish his scenes or else you could have lost your role!"

"Where have you been anyway?" It was Dina's turn to ask, Amy finally stopped talking and they both waited for her to answer. Lila felt trapped. She didn't want them to know she had been to Quantico to visit her boyfriend, they will surely grill her alive.

"I just visited an old friend." She simply said, hoping she didn't sound like she was hiding something from them. The two women in front of her exchanged looks and then turned to her. She gulped; they were looking at her conspicuously interested with where the topic was heading to. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Dina snickered and Amy, on the other hand, shook her head. _They know it. They definitely know it!_

"We could've easily canceled your shoot if you just said you'll be with an 'old friend.'" Dina remarked as Amy sat back to her swiveling chair. Her eyes widened in surprise. _Am I that so easy to read? _She asked herself. "But what you did was stupid, Lila. Amy was already planning to hold a press conference just to find you!"

Lila sighed, relieved that it didn't happen or else it could've been a catastrophe. Amy finally decided to end their discussion (thankfully) and Lila left her office. Just before she rode into her car, her cellphone rang.

_**Service jst ended. going out to drink. Love you.**_

It was Spencer's text message. She smiled sadly and wished she could teleport back to Quantico just so she could be with him.

_**Don't get too drunk ok? Love you too :***_

Lila rode her car and was about to start her engine when her phone received another text message.

_**Wish you were here. **_

She quickly typed her reply and sighed right after it was sent. Even if they parted just last night, she already missed him badly. They hadn't had the time together from what she anticipated but just knowing he was right beside him all that time she felt complete. It was better than being miles apart.

***8*8*8***  
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_**Me too. I miss you already Spencer.**_

Spencer read the last text message Lila sent to him. He quickly drank his glass of scotch and wished the liquid could take away all his troubles. JJ asked everybody out for a couple of drinks right after Emily's funeral service. It was not the brightest idea since it was still too early for it but it was the only thing, Spencer figured, that they can do right now. Hotch declined saying he was needed back to the office but permitted the others to go. Everyone in the team plus JJ went out to a local bar.

"That was fast," he heard someone beside him said. He turned to her direction and saw it was Ashley sitting in the bar next to him. He just shrugged with the comment and asked the bartender for another shot. "Just beer for me." She said to the bartender. "Why are you alone in here?"

"No reason." He said in a low voice as he eyed the glass in front of him. He can feel Ashley's stare at him. It was already his 4th glass and in normal conditions, he should have been swaying in his feet already. Given the circumstances, it doesn't affect him at all and it was just like he was drinking water. He looked at her and cleared his throat. "So I heard your graduation will be next week? Congratulations."

She nodded and took a sip from her glass. She smiled at him softly and said, "Thanks."

He smiled back at her and finished his shot again. The bartender, figuring Spencer will ask for another, automatically filled up his glass with another round of scotch. He sighed. Ashley just looked at him, puzzled. She looked like she wanted to say something to comfort him but can't think of anything to say. To ease her worries, he said, "If you're worried about me, you shouldn't because I'm fine."

"No one is fine, Reid." She turned around and Spencer followed her gaze. In a table was Rossi and JJ, quietly talking while Derek and Penelope were in the farthest corner of the bar drinking and talking in low voices. In a normal person's view, it was just a normal scene in a local bar but from Spencer and Ashley's point of view there were so much that their friends were hiding. "We are all not fine."

He sighed again and turned back to the counter. He emptied his glass and signaled for another. He turned to face her again and for a second he thought it was Lila who was sitting next to him. He blinked hard fully aware that the liquor was already taking its effect on him.

"Are you ok, Spencer?" She said to him with concern. It was the first time she called him by his name and Spencer wasn't the bit relaxed. She sounded like Lila or maybe it was his brain playing tricks on him.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy." Spencer rubbed his temple and blinked hard over and over again just to shake the effect off him. As she placed a hand on his shoulder he felt his heart palpitate in an instant and he wanted to slap himself for it. _What the hell is happening to me? _He cursed inside his head. He was grieving for a friend's death; his girlfriend is in the other side of the country who he truly misses; and now a girl who he mistaken for his girlfriend on his side keeping him company. He was looking intently at her, she was talking but he can't seem to understand what she was talking about. All his eyes could focus on is her beautiful face.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" She suddenly asked, Spencer escaping the trance he was in. He didn't know why but he suddenly blushed with the knowledge that her attention was all in him.

He cleared his throat and said, "I should go." Her face somewhat lost its initial glow when he stood up from his chair but Spencer shook the idea away and convinced himself he was just imagining it.

"Hey, where are you going?" she managed to caught him by his hand. He probably looked so surprised that Ashley let his hand go the second he turned to face her back.

"I'm going home, I'll just say goodbye to the others." He walked towards Morgan and Garcia, balancing in every step he took. The world started to spin and halfway from his destination, he was about to fall down when he felt a hand grab his sleeve. As if woken up from sleep with ice cold water splashed on his face, Spencer's vision cleared.

"Reid, are you ok?" He heard Garcia ask but he was too busy staring at Ashley who was helping him out.

"Spence?" It was JJ and he finally faced them.

"I'll go home now."

"Do you think you can go home alone in that condition?" Morgan asked.

"Y-Yeah. I think I could." His friends looked unconvinced and they all started to get off their seats.

"C'mon now kid, you look wasted." Rossi patted him in the back and walked past him.

***8*8*8***  
><strong>*8*8*8*<strong>

**_Soooooo? What do you think?  
>Good? Bad? Very Bad?<br>Should I continue? Should I discontinue?  
>Should I give up? Or <em>should I just keep chasing pavements?<em>_**

**__Leave a review! Please? Pleasseee?__**


	12. Chapter 12

**_What's up guys? I'm back from the dead! _**Thank you for reading, reviewing, following, and adding this in your favorites!  
><strong>__****__**Before we get down to business here are some reminders:  
><strong>__****__**- The ones in Italic are flashbacks which happened after chapter 10.  
><strong>__****__**- Criminal Minds isn't mine.**__**

* * *

><p>Spencer knocked on the oak door in front of him and nibbled on his lower lip. For the past few weeks he have been going to this very same house just to let out all what he have been feeling after Emily's untimely death. He considered talking to Lila about it but he decided not to since it will just worry her more.<p>

"Who's there?" A woman asked from the other side of the door.

"It's me." He answered back and the door opened widely. "Hi. I'm here again."

"Hey, Spence." JJ smiled softly at him and let him inside. "Sit down. I'll just get something to drink."

Spencer said his thanks and placed his bag on the couch. He looked around JJ's apartment and laid his eyes on a framed picture of their team a few feet away from him. He held it and stared at each and everyone's faces. They all looked happy in the picture. It was taken a year ago. He sighed and wished he could go back to that time.

"Where's Henry?" He asked when he felt his friend's presence behind him. He placed the picture back to its place.

"I just tucked him in bed a few minutes before you arrived." She said and he faced her. She gave him a glass of orange juice and they both sat down. "He was waiting for you but fell asleep watching cartoons."

He didn't say anything and kept staring down at his shoes. JJ sighed and put an arm around his shoulders. For some time they just sat there, both silent. "JJ, thanks for everything." He said, looking at JJ, his sadness reflected in his eyes. Her grip around him tightened.

She smiled at him and whispered, "We promised to watch out for each other, remember?" After Tobias Hankel abducted him, they made some kind of a pact that they won't split up again and when Gideon left, JJ promised him she'll be there for him, whatever may happen along the way.

"I know this may sound crazy but..." He paused. "I think Emily's still out there. In a safe place, you know?"

JJ looked at him with a straight face, void of any emotions. Even for a profiler like him, it was hard to say what was running through her mind.

"You think I'm going crazy, don't you?" He smirked when she didn't say anything and shook his head.

"Spence I don't think you're going crazy." JJ said softly and held his hand. "I think we all have our own ways of dealing with Emily now being gone."

"JJ, that's not it. I mean she's still out there. Alive and well. My gut says so." He looked at her in the eye.

"But we buried her, Spence." She said, not breaking their eye contact.

"I know. But.." He took a deep breath and sighed, knowing very well that he have already lost the argument. He rubbed his temples as he gathered all his thoughts. "This is my entire fault. If I have asked what was wrong with her, things could have turned out differently."

"What do you mean?" JJ asked him, brows creased.

He shrugged, "I noticed her being tense these past few weeks and her nails were crooked. She tends to bite her nails when she's nervous._"_

"Don't be too hard on yourself. It's nobody's fault but Ian Doyle."

"JJ, I want that man dead. I want to hunt him down and kill him myself."

"Mommy?" They both turned around and saw Henry on the doorway with a teddy bear in his hand. JJ stood up to take her son into her arms but the boy ran to Spencer his face full of excitement. "Uncle Spencey!"

He sat there letting out his suppressed anger in a sigh. He put on a smile as his godson went to him.

"Hey buddy." Henry hugged him tightly and he didn't resist. It was what he needed for the past few days, a hug. He looked up at JJ and saw her wipe a tear away.

***8*8*8*  
>*8*8*8*<br>**

_Lila was truly awe-struck as she and Spencer, hand in hand, walked down the concrete pathway leading to a trapezoidal building in front of them. Spencer smiled as he watched her features brighten as they neared their destination. The marble structure was glimmering as the morning sun shines down at it, bringing out its beauty even more. Lila have only seen it on pictures and have always admired it, wishing she could visit it if she have time to spare._

"_Wait here," Spencer left her side when they finally arrived in front of the entrance and retrieved a digital camera from his pocket. "I want you to have a picture of your first visit in the famous National Gallery of Art."_

_Lila laughed, amused with her boyfriend and after a couple of shots, they went inside. As they entered the building, Lila thought she was in another world. The space was humongous even for a museum, which made her feel so small._

"_It's so beautiful." She finally managed to say. She turned her eyes skywards and the interlocking glasses of triangles were so striking that she couldn't help but to stop in her tracks and stare. Triangular shadows cast over them and the marble flooring of the museum._

_Something flashed beside her and it took a while for her to realize that Spencer was stealing shots of her. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you a paparazzo? 'Coz if you are I would ask for security in here."_

"_No ma'am. It's for my documentary." He teased and they moved on to a gallery on the next floor. "I hope you don't mind."_

"_Do what you got to do. Just make sure to keep a picture of me and the documentarian's picture while we make out." She laughed when he instantly blushed with the comment._

_They continued walking around the museum hand-in-hand. As they looked at the exhibits and exquisite art collections, Spencer gave some trivia along the way, something that Lila expected. He looked less agitated compared to when she first saw him yesterday._

***8*8*8*  
>*8*8*8*<br>**

"So... When are you planning to tell me what happened in your little trip to Quantico?" Lila smirked at her friend, Olivia and continued to browse through the rack of dresses in front of her. Her friend raised a brow. "Seriously, Lila, what happened?"

"He was having some troubles when I got there." She took out a yellow dress and scrutinized it. It perfectly fits her but decided to put it back into the rack. She moved on to another row of dresses and continued looking for something that will catch her attention, something that would be simple and fashionable in a way. Olivia moved next to her, arms crossed and eyes browsed creased.

"Lila, I'm waiting for a continuation." She impatiently tapped her shoe on the tile flooring.

Lila looked back at her friend and sighed. "His friend just died when I got there."

Olivia fell silent. "Wow, that's a downer."

"It's a shame I didn't get to meet her. Spencer said she was a good person."

"Why didn't you stay until the funeral? You know, to be there for him?" Olivia asked.

She sighed and made her way to the next rack of clothing. "I really wanted to. I was supposed to say that to him but he learned from you what I did and he told me to go back here."

"Well, if you called Dina after your plane touched down, you could have stayed a little longer back there." Lila rolled her eyes. Her friend had a sheepish smile on her when she asked, "Can I say it now?"

She scowled at her and said, "Okay go on."

"I told you so!" Olivia said loudly, enough to catch all of the other shoppers' attention. Lila eyed her friend.

"I hate you. How did we even become friends?"

"Because we hate each other." Olivia winked at her. Lila finally saw a navy blue ruffled cocktail dress and took it from the rack. She saw another V-neck floral dress from the other rack of sundresses and took it too. "I hate to be a sourpuss but do you think this will work for the two of you?"

She scowled at her friend and asked, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, you being here and him being 'there', how do you guys can keep up? What about the other 'needs', you know." Olivia said in a low voice, careful not to let the other people near them hear their conversation.

Lila rolled her eyes and sighed. "What is going on between us is not all about 'that'. He's different." She walked to the fitting room, hoping that her friend would eventually end the topic. She felt very uncomfortable talking about it. The door of the booth next to hers opened and then locked.

"I'm really excited with how your unconventional relationship would turn out." Olivia remarked. "I never saw you this dedicated to someone before."

"That's because he does the same to me. He wanted to see me every day that he bought his own tablet. And he isn't that much of a techie guy." Olivia giggled. "One of his friends even said she thought he was a Luddite."

"Oh so you met his friends already?"

"No, we were talking on Skype while he was in office and then she saw us." She went out of her booth and spun around as she looked at herself through the mirror. Olivia came out too in a very revealing outfit. "Seriously Olivia, I think that's too much skin."

Olivia rolled her eyes at her and then mockingly smiled as she asked, "Talking? Really?"

"Yes, strictly talking. Not the one you are thinking right now." She said, one of her eyebrows raised and a hand on her hip. Olivia grinned at her and went back to change her dress.

"So, is he going to visit you here or are you going back there?"

"We haven't had any arrangements yet."

***8*8*8*  
>*8*8*8*<strong>

_They both looked up to the screen ahead where all the flights and time of departure are listed. She held his soft hand tighter._

_"Are you OK?"_

_"Yeah, I'm fine." She pulled him to a row of chairs just a few feet from where they were standing. They have arrived too early for her flight and have to wait for an hour. She told him to just drop her off the airport but he insisted to wait for her flight with her, said he didn't want her to be alone. _

_"Do you want something?" He asked, still standing beside her. Lila shook her head and darted her eyes back to the big screen. Spencer sat next to her and gave her a half hug as she leaned on him. Being close to him made her calm a little bit. As she closed her eyes, she tried to put the noise surrounding them fade into the background, focus her attention to Spencer's gentle breathing, the swell and fall of his chest, and the musky and cedar perfume he wore._

_"Spencer," she whispered and he put his ears closer to her. "Promise me you'll be okay."_

_He stared back at her. Though a lot of things were happening for the past few days, he was glad he still have someone like her to keep him from giving up and his sanity in check. He smiled at her and brushed the tip of his nose to hers before lightly kissing her lips._

"_I promise." He leaned down to give her another kiss._

***8*8*8*  
>*8*8*8*<strong>

_**How was it? Tell me what you think! Leave a review! :)  
><strong>_


	13. Chapter 13

**_**Hey guys! Thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites.  
>Enjoy!<strong>_**

* * *

><p>"Hey Hotch." Spencer said as he opened the door of his boss' office. Hotch looked up from the document he was reading to the agent in front of him. "You called for me?"<p>

"Yes. Take a seat." Hotch collected the papers in a folder and stacked it neatly with other folders in his table. Spencer sat in one of the squeaky leather chairs in front of Hotch's table. He looked around and read some of the plaques hanging in the walls. They were mostly certificates of recognition and excellence awards. On his table was his name plate and beside it was the logo of the FBI. It was shiny and he wondered if Hotch actually hired someone from the maintenance department just to shine it every day.

"So why did you call me?" He asked, sounding innocent though he already knew why. There are interviews held when one of a team losses one of its members. It was like a psychological interview to check if the sudden change would cause an inconsistency among the other members left. He wanted to ask why Hotch conducted it since most of the time, an agent from another department should do it but he didn't ask why.

Hotch stood up from his chair and went to one of the couches in the other side of the room. He called Spencer and the younger agent stood as well and went next to him. "We need to talk about Emily."

There was silence between the two of them. It was beginning to make him uncomfortable that Spencer was the one who finally broke the silence.

"The last time I was on a couch like this was when my father left. They all thought I needed to talk, but developmentally I wasn't guided by conscience, I could only reveal what my mother and teachers told me was acceptable." Spencer said, his gaze darting everywhere and on anything and then on his boss' steely gaze. He tried not to look back too long for the fear that Hotch can see through everything that was on his mind. He stopped talking to collect his thoughts.

"You told them exactly what you knew they wanted to hear." Hotch asked. Briefly making an eye contact, he nodded. "You don't have to do that here."

He took a deep breath and swallowed hard to get rid of the lump forming in his throat. Controlling his emotions when talking about Emily have been very difficult for him. He looked back at Hotch and saw the grief and pain that was written across his face. "It's just unfair that she's gone." For a second he thought his voice would break but he was able to hold back. His tears lingered on the corner of his eyes and he moistened his lips. "It's like if we can't keep each other safe then why are we even doing any of this?"

Spencer could feel Hotch's heavy stare on him but he knew that he understood everything since his eyes glistened with tears. Hotch was about to say something to him but he didn't continue. Before he could even stop himself, Spencer blurted out, "Sometimes I think maybe… maybe Gideon was right, you know? Maybe… maybe it's just not worth it."

The two men just sat there in silence.

Spencer fought the urge to run to the door, leave the building, go to his apartment, lock himself from the world for a few days and be alone. He needed to compose himself since his concentration on work was getting sloppier every passing day. Coping after losing a friend while on the field is something he was never trained for.

"Is there anything else you would like to add, Reid?" The solemn voice of his unit chief woke Spencer from the reverie he was having. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.

"N-no, I don't." Hotch looked at him, obviously aware that there was something he wanted to say. Spencer broke the silence. "W-wait Hotch. I want to ask something, actually."

"What is it?"

Spencer cleared his throat. "Can I have some time off? Maybe 3 to 4 days? But not right away… I'm still undecided when."

Hotch looked down at him before finally breaking the silence as he replied, "Just tell me when you've decided."

"Thanks." Hotch just replied a nod. He stood up from his seat and exited the room.

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Spencer emerged from Hotch's office and went straight to his desk where Morgan, Garcia and Seaver were grouped. They were all too busy with their conversations that they didn't notice that he was there.

"Hey Reid," Morgan was the first to greet him. Garcia and Seaver finally noticed he was there. "Is there something wrong?"

"I uh, just came from Hotch's office. He's doing the interview." He said to them and he saw in Morgan and Garcia's face the sudden change in their mood.

"What interview?" Seaver, being the rookie of the team, was not yet aware it. She looked at them, eager to know what he was referring to.

"It's, uh, kinda like counseling." Spencer said and continued packing up his things. Morgan stepped away from the group and went back to his office, Garcia trailing off with him.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw it was Ashley's. "You okay in there?"

It took some time before he could reply. "Yeah, I'm okay."

He could read through her facial expression that she wanted to say something but she stayed mum and walked away back to her desk.

***8*8*8***  
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"I like the thought that he was concerned with us, really." Spencer stopped and stared blankly ahead as he continued to munch on the apple on his hand. Lila on the other hand was marking her lines in the script in her hand as she listened to Spencer talk about the talk he had with Hotch.

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming along." Lila said, making Spencer smirk.

"But I think it's too early to have a conversation like that. I mean, he could have waited a little longer don't you think?"

"Well yeah but you have to deal with it sooner or later." She said knowingly making Spencer to think things through. He smiled weakly back at her and realized how much she was helping him through all the dilemmas he was having. In fact, most of the time that they were talking it was all about him.

"How's your day by the way?" He asked looking at his girlfriend from the other side of the camera.

"Well, you know how it is. 90% of the time I am waiting, 9% dressing up, makeup and doing my hair, and the remaining 1% is acting."

"I see that my statistics blabbers are starting to rub off on you." He said making Lila laugh once more. "And now I know why you kept on texting me all day. Even tweets every minute!"

Spencer stared at Lila, smile escaping his lips. She was perfect in every way he looked at her making him miss her even more.

"I was bored to death you know. Plus, having nothing else to do was not helping keeping you out of my mind." She casually said as she put down her marker and all her papers away. Lila noticed the sudden change in color of his face and snickered. "You're so cute when you blush, Spence."

Spencer just shrugged with her banter and kept his head down, suddenly feeling self-conscious. When he looked up from the screen, Lila was smiling at him. He noticed her eyes have less sparkle that she always have. "Hey, it's already late. You look tired. Go get some sleep."

She frowned at him and pouted. "I'm not yet tired." He looked at her intently. "Well, maybe a little… dazed?"

"That means you're tired." She and Spencer both chuckled.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm going to bed as long as you promise you'll go to bed too."

He smirked, before saying to her, "I promise."

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**_Don't forget to leave a review! :)_  
><strong>


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